


Works from RPB 2015

by acloudysky



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 18:14:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17391245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acloudysky/pseuds/acloudysky
Summary: A collection of one shots that I wrote back in 2015 for the Rare Pair Battle. It's mostly KiyoKuro, but I guess I wrote stuff for KiyoHana and KagaHimu too. There will be more in depth notes before each one.





	1. KiyoKuro 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just recently rewatched Kuroko's and it made me think about the content I made for it back in the day. So I was really sad when I found out that basketballpoetsociety got deleted at some point. Luckily, I wrote these all in google docs instead of as word docs that I probably would have lost years ago. I figured I might as well post them here since they don't exist anywhere else at this point. 
> 
> As a general note to all of these, they are almost four years old. I went back and edited them for the sake of grammar errors, but other than that they're almost entirely in their original, very quickly written form. None of these are great, but I rarely ever finish things I write and what I do finish deserves to be up somewhere. 
> 
> Other characters besides the listed ones do make appearances, but they don't do anything significant enough to warrant being in the tags. 
> 
> CHAPTER ONE: A cute single parents AU. There's not a lot else to be said.

Taiga wasn't necessarily a bad kid, he just got kind of really into things sometimes. Teppei had been hoping that he could at least get through the first day of his son being in kindergarten without any issues. It'd probably been wishful thinking, looking back. He still hadn't been expecting to get to called in because of an argument that had devolved into a fight that had eventually devolved into Taiga and another kid biting each other.

There weren't going to be any extra burgers in the redhead's future for a good while, that was for sure.

Most everyone else was gone by the time he showed up, which made sense. At least the eventual biting match had happened towards the end of the day. Taiga had almost made it through the whole day without any incidents. At least there was that.

When he walked into the classroom, Teppei saw Taiga sitting in one corner of the room with a pout on his face and arms crossed over his chest. It was kind of cute actually. In the opposite corner was a kid with blue hair and dark skin, sitting in a similar position with an almost identical expression.

Teppei was in the middle of almost laughing about the circumstances of these two kindergarteners when he felt someone tap his shoulder. He was mildly terrified. There certainly wasn't someone there before. For almost scaring Teppei half to death, the man looked oddly calm. Actually, Teppei couldn't really see much emotion on his face at all.

But damn, the guy had one of the most adorable faces he's ever seen. It's all giant blue eyes and soft edges and hair the points up every which way. Teppei had to stop himself, because that was probably his son’s teacher and his first impression was probably kind of important. 

While Teppei's heart was busy returning to it's normal rate, the two of them just stood there and looked at each other. Then he felt a tug on his pant leg. In the midst of the awkward silence Taiga must have gotten up from his seat in the corner. He was crying a little bit and as cute as this apparent teacher was, his crying son would trump him every time. When Teppei kneeled down to address the issue of why Taiga had been crying, the just barely there tears turned into complete hysterics.

"I'm so sorry Dad! I promise I'll never fight with him again, even if he's really dumb!" The child's actual words were hard to make out through the tears, but Teppei got the general idea.

"It's okay. Everyone makes mistakes, just don't do it again," he said as he ruffled his son's hair. The gentleness in his voice seemed to calm Taiga down, Teppei directed his attention back to the teacher from where he still was kneeling on the floor with a five year old attached to his arm.

"I'm assuming you're Taiga-kun's father then?"

"The one and only. Kiyoshi Teppei. Nice to meet you." Teppei held his hand out for the teacher to shake. He also might have been secretly hoping that whatever his son had done to warrant having to come and talk to the teacher hadn't left too bad of an impression on him. "I apologize for anything he did. I know he can be kind of rambunctious." For the first time since Teppei walked into the kindergarten classroom, there was some kind of emotion on the other man's face. He'd probably label it as confusion.

"Kuroko Tetsuya. It's nice to meet you as well Kiyoshi-san." A small smile appeared on the Kuroko's face and Teppei swore his heart just about burst. "There seems to be some kind of misunderstanding though. I called you here to apologize for the fight that my nephew started."

That was a new development. He'd been sure that Taiga had been the cause of all of this, because he usually was. At least, that was how it'd always been in preschool.

"Daiki, come here and apologize for what you did." The sullen looking five year old walks over and offers a muttered apology. He was still pouting.

"Sorry for biting you. Dad says I shouldn't bite people." Taiga offered in response. Kuroko seemed please with that answer, leaning down to pat his nephew on the head.

"Go get your things, we can go home now."

\-----

"You should ask him out."

Teppei nearly spit his drink out when he realized what Koganei had said. The statement was followed by a nod from Mitobe, who still never said anything. It obviously hadn't negatively impacted his and Koganei's relationship though. The two were the definition of perfect high school sweethearts.

It'd been a grand total of five weeks since Teppei had first talked to Kuroko. Apparently his infatuation was getting bad enough for his friends to notice, because the Koganei incident was not isolated. Two days after, when he'd been having lunch with Izuki the same thing happened. Teppei didn't think he talked about the teacher that much.

The realization that maybe he did came when his own son questioned him.

"Dad, are you in love with Kuroko-sensei?"

Honestly, Teppei wasn't even sure how Taiga knew what love was. The only real example he has to go off is probably Koganei and Mitobe. When he thought about it, maybe that was actually a viable option. At the same time though, if he was at the point where Taiga was drawing some kind of connection between his feelings towards Kuroko with his friends disgustingly cute actions he really was too far gone.

"I think it's too soon to tell. Love is weird like that." Taiga seemed to accept that answer and went back to watching TV. He was going to have to do something about this.

\----

The opportunity to do something about it arose one day at the park. It was a chance meeting. He'd been watching Taiga attempt to run up the slide (and expecting to eventually comfort a crying Taiga when he inevitably fell down) when he felt a tap on his shoulder. It'd almost been a repeat of the first day he'd met, because he could have swore there was no one else around when he sat down.

This time, he was better prepared and it took a significantly shorter amount of time for his heart rate to return to normal.

Kuroko was dressed casually, which was something different. Teppei was used to seeing him in clothes appropriate for school but there he was in a pair of shorts and a sleeveless hoodie pair with a blue and white striped t-shirt. He couldn't help but think that it really suited him.

"Hey," he managed to get out. Teppei wasn't quite sure why he was so taken aback. Kuroko didn’t really look that much different that he normally did. Maybe it's the weight of what his friends had been saying recently. 

"Hello Kiyoshi-san."

"It's kind of weird to see you outside of the school."

"It's not like I live there."

"I guess you're right." There was a pause that Teppei wasn't quite sure if he should label awkward or not. Over the past few weeks, he's learned that Kuroko appreciated quiet so maybe it wasn't awkward at all. "But what brings you to the park today?"

"Daiki was going stir crazy. I had to get him out of the house." A laugh escaped Teppei's lips. That was something he could relate too. He looked over and saw the two boys now in a competition of 'who can run up the slide first'. Despite the fact that they got into arguments about every day according to Kuroko (he's stopped calling to apologize for individual incidents), the two did seem to be friends. It did seem a little bit odd that Kuroko was with him as much as he was though. Where were his actual parents at?

"You seem to be with him a lot. I thought he was your nephew."

"He is." There's another pause and Teppei could tell this one was one of those ones filled with thought. "His parents aren't the most responsible people out there. They're not home a lot." He could tell there was something else there, something that Kuroko didn't really want to talk about, which was reasonable. It was obviously a sensitive subject and they'd only known each other for a little over a month.

The next time Kuroko talked he was much quieter. "I would have him all the time if I could." Teppei knew the emotion in Kuroko's eyes, because he experienced it all the time. It only served to deepen his affections for the kindergarten teacher.

"May I ask you a question," Kuroko asked after another silence.

"Sure."

"What happened to Taiga's mother? Unless you don't want to talk about it." Teppei laughed a little bit. Why everyone assumed the worst when they learned Taiga's mom wasn't in the picture was beyond him.

"No, it's fine. It's not like she died or anything. It was a pretty clean break-up, if I do say so myself." Kuroko looked a little bit confused. "We actually broke up before she realized she was pregnant. Then she came and told me and I said it was her choice, but if she went through with having the baby I would raise it. And that's what happened. I haven't seen her since and that's fine."

"She never visits or anything?"

"No. It's probably for the best that way. She was always more of a free-spirit anyways." He wasn’t entirely sure where to take the conversation from there. There were few things he'd like to say, like 'how about we go on a date sometime' or 'you are one of the most attractive people I've ever met' but the mood was kind of heavy for things like that.

"He's lucky to have a parent like you then, Kiyoshi-san."

"We could make this a regular thing." It came out without Teppei really thinking about it. He could always cover it up by saying he meant because Taiga and Daiki seem to enjoy playing with each other. As soon as he saw the soft look Kuroko was giving him, a rare, small smile on his lips, he knew he wouldn't have to.

"I think I would like that very much."


	2. KiyoKuro 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An AU where Kiyoshi is a broke college student and Kuroko is a cop.

He should probably consider the short, blue haired cop his friend by this point. Here he is, yet again, getting lectured by a man that's almost a foot shorter than him about why stealing isn't a good thing. He knows that, but if he doesn't pay Imayoshi back somehow he's probably going to be indebted to him for the rest of his natural life.

The thing is though, he's really bad at being a burglar. He's big and isn't the most stealthy person out there. On top of that, he's got a horribly guilty conscious. Honestly, Teppei isn't quite sure why he thought petty theft would be the best solution to this situation in the first place. Imayoshi probably would have taken sexual favors as a form of payment, but Teppei likes to think that he's got a little bit more decency than that.

It's kind of hard to take the cop (who he knows is named Kuroko from way back when this happened for a second time) seriously, considering Teppei could probably knock him out with one punch. And those expressionless blue eyes are actually kind of hilarious on someone as unimposing as him.

"You never told me why you keeping doing this, Kiyoshi-san. I know that sometimes things can be rough, but resorting to crime shouldn't be the solution." It feels less like he's being talked to by a cop and more like his mother is scolding him for taking more dessert than he was allowed. 

He's got enough respect to not back mouth Sir My-Ass-Looks-Excellent-In-This-Uniform. Although, he can't help but think that his new acquaintance would probably be doing something similar if he was a broke college kid who owed money to two of the most intelligent and dangerous men in Japan.

Teppei smiles gently and swears that it won't happen again. It probably will, and they both know it. Maybe, there's just a tiny part of him (the part that isn't doing this because he owes Imayoshi) that keeps trying to break into places just because he wants see to the cutest cop ever again. He should really just ask him out for coffee or something. He can't be that much older.

Teppei has never been accused of being smooth, not by a long shot. Most of the relationships and occasional drunken hook-ups he's been a part of come about because people talk to him. Or his impressive build does the charming for him. He's good at being personable with new people, but not exactly flirting. He likes to think he's good at reading people too, and what he's getting from this police officer is a definite "you're-very-hot-but-I-can't-flirt-with-someone-who-I-should-be-arresting" vibe.

"I'll stop trying to steal things if you get coffee with me." Teppei didn't really intend for those words to come out of his mouth, but he doesn't entirely regret them either. The slightly shocked expression on Kuroko's face is the best part. It's the most emotion he's seen the blue haired man have on his face since this all started. He never did offer an explanation as to why he kept doing this.

Teppei thinks that his is the definition of awkward silence, because Kuroko hasn't said anything and it's been a solid fifteen seconds. Maybe he totally misread the shorter man's intentions.

"Alright, but only if it gets you to stop all of this stealing." Really, Teppei's heart hasn't beaten this fast since Imayoshi beat him at that dumb card game that he bet way too much money on. Money that he didn't have.

But this is different and Teppei finds himself looking forward to this apparent date. For once, he won't be meeting up with Kuroko in the middle of the night with the potential of being arrested.

They make plans for the next morning, at a nice little café that Teppei walks by every morning but has never gone in. When they go separate ways, for the first time in a few months, the first thing on his mind isn't how he's going to repay Imayoshi.


	3. KiyoKuro 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first of the two chapters that have warrant the Major Character Death warning. It's not really an AU. They're just adults.

It's a huge hole in his entire being. It's like that feeling when you leave the house and know you're missing something but you just can't put your finger on what you're missing. But Tetsuya knows exactly what he's missing.

He's missing huge hands intertwining with his own, those fingers combing through his hair as he and Teppei would lay in bed with their legs tangled together. He's missing random flowers at work that make his students ask him if he's in love. He's missing strong arms wrapping around his waist and lifting him off the ground, followed by the sweetest kisses he's ever tasted. He's missing having someone to wake up to someone he truly loves every morning. He's missing sticky notes stuck to the corner of the bathroom mirror, with notes filled with love scrawled on them.

With every passing day the hole and the feeling that something is missing just grows and grows.

He still goes to Kagami's (who he should probably refer to as Taiga now) wedding and plasters a smile on his face. He sees the pure love in his best friend's eyes as he dances with his now husband and feels jealousy rear its ugly head. Just a few months ago he had someone looking at him like that. The sappy music should make his heart warm as he watches the two of them dance, but all it does is make everything more empty.

That horribly jealous feeling comes back when he sees Kise taking pictures of himself, surely sending them to his boyfriend, who couldn't get off work. Teppei used to do that, when he knew that he was having a bad day. He'd send him dumb pictures of himself, and sometimes the dog, that would make the thought of making it through the day to get home bearable.

Tetsuya knows it isn't right as the best man to walk out of the wedding, but he can't take it anymore. He can't pretend to be happy for his best friend when all he really wants to do is break down in tears because he can't have that anymore. He doesn't have anyone to look at like they're his whole world or send dumb selfies too anymore

He'll send Kagami a text in the morning, apologizing for his disappearance, but he just has to be anywhere but there right now.

Tetsuya ends up back at his house, except it doesn't really feel like home at all now. It's more like a building he just happens to sleep in. Teppei was what made it home. Nigou barely lifts his head when he walks in.

The bed feels even more foreign than his house, because the other side is too cold and empty. It still smells a little bit like him and Tetsuya hates it. He hasn't touched any of Teppei's things. It's almost like if he just leaves everything the way it was that morning when he left then he can still hope that things will go back to normal.

Tetsuya doesn't cry that night. He's cried too many tears and tears won't bring him back. Nothing will.

\---

Teppei gives him a tight hug when he leaves that morning, just like he does every morning. His work starts before Tetsuya's.

"Let’s get dinner out tonight."

Tetsuya nods, giving him another quick kiss.

"I love you. Have a good day at work."

"Of course. I love you too." As Teppei walks out the door, Tetsuya goes back to grading papers.

\----

One of the kids runs in and tells Tetsuya that Mr. Police Officer is here to visit him again. His first thought is that Aomine needs to stop spending so much time visiting him and more time doing police officer things.

He can tell the moment he sees him that this isn't one of those "there weren't any cases and I was close to the school visits". Aomine's face is more solemn than he's ever seen before. The two walk outside of the classroom. There's still a fresh bunch of flowers on his desk.

(Tetsuya never can bring himself to throw them away, even after they've withered).

\---

It's the most Tetsuya has ever cried, when Aomine tells him. There was an accident, a fire. Tetsuya doesn't really care about the details. He cries into Aomine's chest, because he doesn't know what else to do. It wasn't supposed to be this way. They were supposed to be happy for the rest of forever. Maybe they'd even get married one day like Kagami and Himuro. He was supposed to watch the high school team Teppei coaches make it all the way someday.

If Aomine wasn't holding onto him, he probably would have been a mess on the floor by now.

\----

When he gets home that night, Tetsuya reads the sticky note on the corner of the bathroom mirror. It's a silly doodle of Nigou and a message of "let's spend forever together, okay?". It breaks his heart into even more pieces.

There's no one waiting for him. There never will be ever again.


	4. KiyoKuro 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second of two chapters that warrant the Major Character Death tag. It's an AU where Kiyoshi and Kuroko meet as children.

It was May when Teppei first met Tetsuya. He was five when the blue haired boy's grandmother first brought him over to play. He was small, with wide blue eyes that look like they're taking in too much for his brain to process. He hid behind his grandmother's leg until she all but forced him to say hi.

Tetsuya reminded Teppei of a small animal, kind of like the baby bunnies he and his classmates had found out behind the school a few days earlier.

"Do you want to play outside," Teppei asked. His grandparents did this a lot, meeting and trying to make him new friends that is. It was always kind of awkward at first, despite the fact that Teppei was a rather personable seven year old. It was a lot simpler to play with his friends from school. Makoto liked games like checkers, where he could showcase how he was smarter than the rest of them. Reo liked to pretending to read their fortunes and watching movies about things Teppei would probably never understand. Hayama and Nebuya both liked playing sports and always got kind of competitive.

He knew what to do when he had any of them over, but he had no clue what he should suggest to do with Kuroko.

"Mom and Dad say I can't. I'll get sick."

The statement confused Teppei a little bit. He played outside all the time and didn't get sick that much. Oh well. Maybe his parents were just weird.

"Wanna watch a movie then?" Tetsuya nodded, his face still expressionless.

The two spent the rest of the afternoon watching some movie about aliens that one of Teppei's friends had left at his house. Tetsuya spent the entire time with his knees pulled up to his chest, eyes glued to the screen.

~~~

After that, they became friends rather easily. Tetsuya was easy enough to get along with. He didn’t say much, but that meant he rarely ever disagreed to anything.

Six months later, Teppei knocks on the door to Tetsuya's house. He was supposed to have Makoto and Reo over, but they had to cancel. Reo had gotten sick and Makoto's parents were having people over. He wasn't too disappointed though, because Kuroko was across the street and he wouldn't gloat about being smarter than Teppei.

Tetsuya's grandma answered the door with a sad look in her eyes.

"Can Tetsuya come over and play today?" A smile that didn't look quite genuine spread across her face.

"I'm sorry, Teppei, he can't. Tetsuya wasn't feeling well and had to go to the hospital. But when he gets back I'll make sure to tell him that you want him to come over, okay?" It was a little bit disheartening, but Teppei wasn't too worried. He'd been to the hospital once, when Hayama had dared him to climb up the big tree at the park and he'd fallen down and hurt his arm. It being in a sling for a while, which had really sucked, but it hadn't been too bad.

"Oh, okay." It looked like he was going to be spending the rest of the day alone. "Umm, can you tell him I said I hope he feels better?"

"Of course.

~~~

Teppei wais nine when he figured out why Tetsuya could never play outside. Grandma and Grandpa had told him that Tetsuya got sick very easily and that was why he couldn't play outside and spent a lot of time at the doctors or in the hospital.

Not that any of that really made much of a difference to Teppei. Tetsuya was still his friend and ever if he got sick easily, he still came over to play video games and watch movies. Plus, Teppei always had his other friends for when Tetsuya couldn't come over.

~~~

Once he got to middle school, Teppei found himself spending more and more time with Tetsuya and less and less time with his other friends. Makoto had gone to a different middle school than Teppei did, which meant he rarely ever saw him anymore. Now, with more homework and responsibilities, traveling to visit each other was more of a hassle than ever. They still all met up to do homework together sometimes, but it wasn't the same as before.

Tetsuya, on the other hand, was right across the street and was okay with reading while Teppei worked on his homework. Tetsuya was homeschooled, so he never had much work of his own to do.

"What's school like," the smaller of the two asked one day. Teppei had to think about the answer for a little bit.

"School is kind of a pain I guess? It's a lot of work and the teachers don't like when you fall asleep in class. But there are lots of cool people there and you get to hang out with your friends. Class isn't so bad if you're in the same one as people you get along with." Tetsuya didn't say much after that, like he was thinking about what Kiyoshi told him. They went back to playing video games after that.

~~~

Teppei is thirteen when he goes to visit Tetsuya in the hospital on his own for the first time. He'd been with his grandparents before, but never on his own. Truth be told, he didn't really like hospitals that much. They smelled weird and he's associated them with loneliness ever since he learned hospital visits were the reason Tetsuya couldn't come over and hang out.

Tetsuya looked kind of surprised when Teppei walked in the room. That was probably to be expected though. He hadn't told him he was coming to visit.

They don't talk about much in particular. He, Reo, Hayama, and Nebuya had met up with Makoto a few days ago and that had been fun. They'd gone to see some horrible movie, but spending time with everyone together again had been nice. So, Teppei told him about that, and how basketball was going. He told him about his classes and the cultural festival that's going to be going on and how he wished Tetsuya could come and see what his class was doing.

Tetsuya smiled the entire time, and before either had realized it, Teppei had been there for an hour. He had to leave or else his grandparents would get upset that he’d missed dinner. 

He couldn’t shake the feeling that even though Tetsuya had that small smile that Teppei would probably never associate with someone other than him on his face the entire time, he still looked sad. 

~~~

Three months later Teppei realized he might just have romantic feelings for his neighbor. They’d been sitting in Tetsuya’s room when it happened. Tetsuya had been telling him about his cousin coming to visit last weekend when Teppei found himself thinking about how the younger boy’s lips would feel against his own. 

Teppei decided to hide those feelings away. 

~~~

Teppei was fifteen and Tetsuya was fourteen when they kiss for the first time. It’s clumsy and both of their lips were a little bit chapped, but it locked in place the fact that Teppei was probably in love with the smaller teen. 

Tetsuya had gotten the okay to spend the night that night. They spent it wrapped up in each other and it’s everything that Teppei thought it would be and then some. 

~~~

Reo, Hayama, and Nebuya went to a different high school than he did, but that’s okay. Teppei made new friends quickly, mostly consisting of his teammates on the basketball team. That, and he had Tetsuya.  
~~~

Tetsuya had never been allowed to go out to places with large crowds. Someone, out of all those people, was bound to be sick. That was exactly why Teppei had been surprised when he saw Tetsuya in the crowd at his first basketball game, with a small smile on his face. 

He played the best he’s ever played in that game.

But when Tetsuya had to spend a few days in the hospital after that, Teppei couldn’t help but blame himself. 

~~~

Towards the end of his first year of high school Teppei could tell Tetsuya was being secretive about something. He couldn’t help but thinking that maybe Tetsuya was going to break up with him. 

To his surprise, he saw Tetsuya at school on the first day of the new school year. 

~~~

At the end of Teppei’s second year of high school, they had sex for the first time. It’s amazing, if a little bit awkward. Both of them were inexperienced, but Teppei wouldn’t have had it any other way. Tetsuya slept pressed as close to him as he could that night. 

~~~

At the beginning of this last year of high school, Teppei panicked when Tetsuya wasn't at school. He went to the hospital as soon as school let out, only because he knew Tetsuya would scold him for skipping school just to come and see him. 

Tetsuya looked worse than Teppei’s ever seen him. He looked so small, even though just yesterday he looked fine. Teppei stayed there, even though Tetsuya slept the entire time, until Tetsuya’s parents showed up and told him it’s okay to go. He didn’t want to, but he knew he should. Tetsuya would scold him for not doing his homework if he was awake.

Teppei reasoned that Tetsuya’s parents knew about the two of them too. For some reason, he figured they didn’t really care. 

~~~

Tetsuya ended up spending two weeks in the hospital and it’s potentially the two worst weeks of Teppei’s life. 

Even when he gets home, Tetsuya looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks. 

~~~

Things got worse and worse from there on out. Tetsuya was at school less at less and in the hospital more and more. 

Teppei spent all of his free time with Tetsuya. He gave him gentle forehead kisses and held his hand at every available opportunity. He couldn’t shake the feeling that his time with Tetsuya was getting shorter every day. He hated thinking that, but the way that the dark bags under Tetsuya’s eyes grew and grew and the fact that he looked like he weighed less and less wouldn’t let the thoughts leave his mind. 

~~~

The feeling Teppei got when he woke up one December morning is kind of what he figured animals feel when they sense a storm coming. He couldn’t escape the feeling that something was horribly wrong. He skipped basketball practice even though they had a tournament coming up, because his gut was telling him this might be one of the last chances he’s going to get to see Tetsuya. 

When he walked into the room and immediately thought that the look on Tetsuya’s parents and grandma’s face is the saddest he’s ever seen, and he just knew things bad. 

Tetsuya looked up at him and even though he was smiling Teppei could tell he was in pain and it broke his heart. 

“Can I talk with Teppei-kun alone for a few minutes,” Tetsuya asked. They agreed, and suddenly it was just the two of them. 

An awkward silence consumed the room for a few moments, before Tetsuya let out a short breath. “I’m sorry Teppei-kun.” There were tears pricking at the corners of Tetsuya’s eyes. “I really wanted to see you graduate. I really did.” It was mere moments after Tetsuya said that that Teppei has him pressed up against his chest. 

They were both crying. 

“Please don’t say that. You’re going to be okay.” 

“Teppei-kun...” 

Teppei knew it was pointless. Tetsuya wouldn’t be saying those things if they weren’t true. 

“I love you so much Teppei-kun. You were my first real friend, you know that? Even if we just watched movies or played video games for years, I was always so happy when we were together. Thank you so much for all of that.” 

“You know I wouldn’t have rather spent that time with anyone else.” He didn’t want to let go. “I love you too Tetsuya. Thank you.” The words were quiet, like neither wanted anyone else to hear them. They weren’t meant for anyone else to hear. 

Everyone else came back in, but Teppei didn’t let go of Tetsuya’s hand. He wanted to believe that a miracle would happen, that everything would be okay in the end, but he knew it wouldn’t. He knew this was going to be the last time he’d ever get to do this. 

When Tetsuya’s eyes started to droop, he calls everyone over and says his last goodbyes. He told Teppei he loved him again, after telling his parents and grandma. Teppei squeezed his hand and told him the exact same thing. Almost as soon as he fell asleep his grip on Teppei’s hand went weak. 

~~~

The rest of the school year was hell. They lost the Winter Cup Tournament in the early rounds. Teppei’s heart just wassn’t in it. Makoto, Reo, Hayama, and Nebuya all make a point to visit him at some point. It would have been nice seeing them all again, if there weren’t a hole in his heart he could never hope to fill again. 

Teppei graduated, but had no one to give his button to. He’s always thought it was a dumb tradition anyways. He threw it in a river near his high school. 

~~~

Eventually, his heart numbed over. He still smiled that goofy smile of his, but it rarely ever meant anything.


	5. KiyoKuro 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kuroko helps Kiyoshi adopt a cat. Kise is there briefly.

Kuroko Tetsuya is no stranger to finding himself in unique situations. The company he keeps all but requires he has the mental fortitude to deal with lots of unexpected events. So the idea of stopping and asking a guy who is sitting on his front steps looking like the entire world was against him didn’t seem too outrageous. Sometimes people just need someone to talk to. He does not expect to end up with aforementioned stranger crying on his shoulder about how his cat had just died. It's more than a little awkward, not only because Kuroko has no clue who this guy is, but also because the (very attractive) stranger is probably close to a foot taller than he is.

"I just, he was my best friend and I don't know what to do." The sentence is a little hard to make out, but Kuroko gets the general idea. Now he just has to figure out what to do about it. The laws of reality mean he can't bring the cat back to life, which would have been the best option. Then a lightbulb goes off. Kise’s been going on and on about how he'd gotten that job at the animal shelter for weeks. (well, more about his hot boss than the actual job, but that didn't matter).

~~~  
By the time they get to the animal shelter, Kuroko knows the strangers name. It's Kiyoshi Teppei. He'd had the cat that had just died (it's name was Hana) since he was a child. While he'd been opposed to replacing her so quickly at first, he eventually agrees that maybe just being around some other animals would make him feel better. The smile he gives Kuroko when he thanks him for his time makes the shorter man's heart flutter just a little bit.

The only flaw with his plan, and it is a rather glaring one, is the fact that he has to deal with one Kise Ryouta.

On his good days, Kise is bearable. He can have intelligent conversation when he wants to, but on the days when he isn't being entertained by something he's just plain old tiring to be around.

Kuroko can already tell it's obviously been a slow day at work, because when he walks in Kise is sitting at the counter taking selfie after selfie. How he has a job still Kuroko has no idea. He might as well have a little fun with this visit though. Motioning Kiyoshi to be quiet, Kuroko walks up to the front desk and lets out a quiet "hello Kise-kun". The image of Kise screaming as he fell of his chair was not something he would forget any time soon.

"Geez Kurokocchi, you're so cruel," the blonde says as he gets back up. "I'm flattered you came to visit me at work though. I always knew you loved me."

"Save it for your boss Kise-kun. I'm- We're here to look at cats." Kuroko motions to Kiyoshi, who gives a polite (and charming, heartwarming, and endearing) smile and a wave.

"So mean. They're that way," the blonde says with a wave towards a door to the left. Kuroko thinks his boss should really consider firing him for his terrible customer service skills. 

~~~  
In the end, the two did go home with a cat. It’s older, has large eyes, and is all black. Why Kuroko walks his new acquaintance home is really beyond him (okay not really, because he knew acquaintance was hot). He doesn't expect to be invited in for tea though.

They're standing at the counter, the cat having gone off to explore it's new home, when Kiyoshi says "You know, I'm really thankful for today. I was a mess. Maybe I could take you out sometime to make up for it?". Kuroko's heart just about stops. Maybe helping random strangers does have its perks. He agrees in a heartbeat.


	6. KiyoKuro 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're adults and meet at a party. Other characters make brief appearances.

Kuroko wasn't really a fan of Kise's parties. Truthfully, he never had been. Outside of the group of friends that had grown close in high school, he rarely ever knew more than a handful of the guests. If it wasn't for that fact that the blonde always had good food and even better alcohol, he probably wouldn't go at all.

Somehow though, about once a month, Kuroko found himself sitting at almost always the same table with the same people. Kise was almost always getting way too much enjoyment out of seeing a flustered Kasamatsu try and converse with some of the most gorgeous women on the planet. The women always asked if Kasamatsu was seeing anyone and he almost always just turned beat red before dodging the question. His relationship status was a well kept secret to anyone outside of their friend group. Kuroko had always suspected that maybe Kise was putting his fellow models up to flirting with Kasamatsu just so he could see the other get unreasonably flustered.

Aomine almost always stayed protectively attached to Sakurai the entire night. For some reason, Kise's celebrity friends though the whole 'small creature that need protecting' look was the most attractive thing ever, because whenever Aomine and his threatening scowl weren't within five feet of the shorter man, they were all over him. Kuroko secretly thought it was adorable. Since middle school he'd known that Aomine had a protective side, but it had never been as blatantly obvious.

Kagami always, without fail, stuffed his face full of food. Kuroko can't really blame him though, because the food was always delicious. He didn't even want to image how much Kise paid to cater all those parties. The food might have served as a distraction from all the people that hit on Himuro. Of course, Himuro always declined them, but a little bit of jealousy probably still seeped in. That's the issue with having a beautiful boyfriend, Kuroko supposed

Momoi and Imayoshi were always there too. Although it looked like they're always scheming and communicating telepathically, keeping the physical affection to a minimum. Kuroko's always known that those two together were dangerous.

It wasn’t like the other ignored him, because they didn't. He was always part of the conversation and frequently had to solve 'who started throwing food at each other first, Aomine or Kagami' debates. It usually ended up with the conclusion that "it doesn't matter who started it, you two are both too old to be throwing food at each other". He couldn’t help but feel kind of lonely though, seeing all of his friends with people to care about. 

"I'm going to get drinks. Anyone want anything," Kuroko asked as he stood up. Everyone else declined.

On his way back to the table, Kuroko might have been spacing out a little bit. Thoughts of what it would be like to have someone to communicate telepathically with or someone to be jealous over might have been what he was thinking about when he spaced out. Regardless, the end result was him walking into something (which happened to be someone a lot bigger than he was) and spilling his drink all over them.

"Ahh, I'm so sorry about that." Kuroko looked up from what was sure to be a stain on the strangers shirt and went wide eyed. Now, he'd never really been the type to get his breath taken away just because someone was attractive, but this guy was absolutely gorgeous. Not a Himuro or Kise kind of gorgeous either, what with perfect hair and bishounen sparkles everywhere they went. He was just kind of plain old handsome and it did doing horrible things to Kuroko's heart. The gentle smile and kind eyes were the cherry on top.

"Oh." The reply came a few seconds late. "It's okay. Accidents happen, right?"

After that, the two exchanged names. Kuroko found out that the stranger, who happened to be named Kiyoshi, just got hired at the same agency as Kise, although he was a manager and not a model. Kuroko explained that he'd had the unfortunate pleasure of knowing their host since middle school, which was why he was here.

One thing led to another and eventually Kiyoshi found a spot at Kuroko's usual table.

"Tetsu," Aomine said as he leaned over towards where Kuroko was sitting, motioning for him to come closer. "He's hot. Nice catch." The comment was returned with a smack to the head. Aomine probably deserved more of those than he got.

Somehow, Kiyoshi sitting with the seven of them at Kise's gatherings became a regular thing. Not long after, Kuroko waking up with a pair of huge hands and strong arms holding him became a regular thing as well.

Kise declared himself the best matchmaker ever, despite having absolutely nothing to do with the two of them meeting, when they moved in together six months after having met. Kuroko let him take the glory. Little battles are sometimes best left alone. Now he's got bigger worries anyways, like making sure everyone at the parties knows that Kiyoshi is in fact taken. He's not quite as good at appearing intimidating as Aomine, but he's working on it. Although something told him that Kiyoshi could probably hold his own. 

Still, when he wakes up in the morning and sees sweet brown eyes looking at him like he’s the best thing in the entire world, he couldn’t really dream of anywhere else he would rather be. He hasn’t dated that many people, but none of them have given as good of kisses and none of them got up to make breakfast for him every day. 

Absolutely none of them had been this amazing and he absolutely hadn’t been in love with any of them nearly as much as he was with Kiyoshi.


	7. KiyoKuro 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What if Seirin lost AU I guess

Regret.

Kuroko sees all the upperclassmen crying and he instantly feels a wave of regret wash over him. There must have been something else he could have done, some play that would have swung tide of the game. He knew Kagami was thinking the same exact thing, with his head down low.

They all manage to hold back the tears until they get to the locker room, and then it's a mess of waterworks. No one yells though. No one punches or kicks or blames anyone that isn't them. They all acknowledge that everyone else gave one hundred and ten percent, but doubt their self. Kuroko knows that's what he's doing. There aren't many words said. Even coach knows that there was nothing anyone could do to cheer anyone up now. There isn't anyone to be named captain, because none of them are graduating. They'll all be back next year.

At least, most of them will.

They all kind of file out of the locker room one by one. It makes sense. Some people would definitely need some alone time to think about what had just happened. Eventually, it's just he and Kiyoshi left.

Kuroko walks over to the older teen, head hung low. The corners of his eyes are red from all the crying he'd been doing. "I'm sorry Kiyoshi-senpai. I wanted to win. For you and for everyone." The smile on Kiyoshi's face is the saddest one he's ever seen, but his eyes are gentle.

"It's not your fault Kuroko. We all tried our hardest. We just got out played."

"You can't be happy with that though! We get another chance, but you…." His voice tappers off. He doesn't want to say it, the thing that they all know is inevitable. 

"Kuroko, look at me." Kuroko does just that. It's so hard to meet Kiyoshi's gaze. He can tell the older teen has been crying too. "Would I have liked to win. Yes. Do I regret anything I did. Absolutely not. I had a great time with all of you and I wouldn't have traded it for the world. So do me a favor and beat all of them next year."

The next thing Kuroko knows is that he's crying even harder than he was before, but Kiyoshi is also holding him in the tightest hug he's ever experienced.

"I wish I could have played more basketball with you Kiyoshi-senpai."

"I know. Maybe you will some day. Who knows." Then Kiyoshi kisses him on the forehead and the fact that this is no longer platonic affection is the least of Kuroko's concerns right now. Although it is a nice after thought.

"That would be nice."

The two stay like that for a few more minutes before they both figure that the rest of the team is probably waiting for them outside. Kuroko feels just the slightest bit better.


	8. KiyoKuro 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kuroko gets a badly written love letter. I guess it's an AU because the Uncrowned Kings are all friends.

When the first thing Kuroko mentioned on their date was the love letters Kiyoshi knew that he had to think of some way to get revenge.

"The part where you said-" Kiyoshi just had to interject there, because he wrote nothing in those letters. It was all his four meddling friends who had no clue how to be romantic.

"My friends wrote those letters, not me. Just to clarify." Kuroko laughed a little bit at that and it gave Kiyoshi the worst feeling.

"Of course Kiyoshi-san. But the part about how you think I would, and I quote, 'Look cute when I was asleep, kind of like a baby animal that's completely helpless' was really something else." Kiyoshi decided then and there that he wasn't playing chess with Hanamiya or any of those damn strategy video games he liked so much for at least three weeks. Who would think that was romantic! It was creepy.

"Or what about the really romantic bit where you compared my hair to the pale blue sky on a winter morning. Something about how it 's the only good part of the day sometimes." That would be Reo. While it was mushy and a little bit too emotional for Kiyoshi's tastes, it was still better than Hanamiya's sleeping comment.

"I also liked the part where you said "You look as good as the most perfectly done steak", although I wasn't quite sure if you were saying I was attractive or if you're secretly a cannibal." God save any of Nebuya's future lovers, if that was how he thought you should compliment people. It ranked in between pale blue morning skies and watching you while you sleep.

"I couldn't really read certain parts though. There were lots of spelling mistakes, but with the amount of exclamation points there were I'm sure it was very sincere and exciting." Maybe Kuroko being not able to read what Hayama wrote was a good thing. Kiyoshi didn't even want to imagine what atrocities the other boy had actually written.

By that point, Kiyoshi's head was laying on the table and he was regretting his choice of friends more than he had ever before. The brunette heard another chuckle from his date, who happened to be doing more teasing than what people on dates should actually be doing. Kiyoshi looked up and everything clicked into place. The look in Kuroko's eye could only mean one thing.

"You were in on this with them!"

"I don't know what you're talking about Kiyoshi-san." While Kuroko may be great at putting on that expressionless face, Kiyoshi could tell that he was trying to hold back a laugh. "Your friends are very interesting though."

"I could say the same about yours." While he's never actually spoken with Kuroko's friends outside the basketball court (a boundary that his own didn't appear to honor), from what he's heard of them, he can probably make that statement and it not be a total lie. There's also the fact that behind them are about two bushes filled with teenage boys desperately trying to listen in on their date. "What do you say we try to lose them?"

"I would say that's the best idea I've heard all day."

That's how their date at a café that apparently had the best milkshakes this side of the sun turned into a day of trying to escape overly concerned friends. It was fun, Kiyoshi begrudgingly admitted at one point. Probably even more fun than sitting around making small talk for an afternoon. Kuroko is quick witted and the two almost escape their friends at more than one point.

The date ended in front of Kuroko's house. Kiyoshi didn’t see any suspicious bystanders or moving bushes, so he assumed they'd manage to lose them at some point. "How about next time, we don't tell them where we're going."

"Agreed."


	9. KiyoHana 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introspective KiyoHana. I'm not entirely sure what I was trying to do with this but I like thinking about how a relationship between them would work, so that's probably what I was going for. I've never actually figured out a plausible reason for them to start dating though so, like, make something up when you read this. Also the timeline doesn't make much exact sense but shhhhhhhhhhh

Hanamiya tastes like the sweetest poison he can imagine. He gives an inch and then proceeds to take a mile. His lips are soft and welcoming at first, but his teeth hurt like the fangs of a viper. Hanamiya can be well behaved in public, but a terror at home. Teppei's grandparents love him, but that’s only because they don't see the bruises and scratches beneath his clothes.

At first, they both could have written it off as a purely sex thing. While Teppei never thought of he'd be getting a blowjob in a public restroom, it happened rather frequently. There was never any questions about who was in charge either. Hanamiya may have been the one down on his knees, but the reigns were in his hands. Teppei never sought him out. He thought it might have just been coincidence at first, but you can only have hate sex with a person in a public restroom so many times before there's no way it can be coincidental.

Eventually, it's to the point where Hanamiya is eating dinner with his grandparents and Teppei isn't entirely sure how things ended up like this. He could probably connect the dots if he wanted to, but he doesn't. He likes to think that he’s just a bystander in all of this, that he didn't bring a scorpion into his house willingly.

It's never been a question of if he loves Hanamiya. He knows he shouldn't for so many reason. His friends like to remind him of that.

No, when Hanamiya is involved the question is always why. Teppei can't say why he keeps coming back. Part of him probably likes the pain of being in love with someone that seems to only get pleasure out of hurting others. Part of him probably wants to try and fix him, but he's not even sure if Hanamiya is broken or if he's chosen to be the way he is. They never talk about their past (they don't really talk much at all) and probably never will. Teppei stopped trying to figure out Hanamiya early on. 

Deep down, Teppei likes that he truly doesn't understand anything about him. He can make all the guesses he wants, but unless Hanamiya talks (and while Teppei knows Hanamiya loves hearing his own voice, he highly doubts that anything that might reveal some kind of weakness will ever slip out of those sour yet sweet lips).

For the most part, he believes all of that.

But there are nights when Hanamiya stumbles into his house piss drunk (thank god for his grandparents being old and needing hearing aids). The sex is always rough and Hanamiya is more demanding than he normally is, but, instead of rolling as close to the edge of the bed as possible once it's over, he clings to Teppei like he'll disappear if he doesn't. They'll wake up in the morning and Hanamiya will still be there, rolled into a ball and seeming a whole lot smaller than he actually is. Teppei doesn't dare try anything too sweet.

Hanamiya Makoto is okay with the sound of snapping bone and blood. He's okay with crushed dreams and killing spiders. He's okay with bruises.

Hanamiya Makoto is terrified of affection. He's terrified of people actually caring about him. Having people be close to him means that he's giving people the chance to hurt him. Hanamiya isn't the one to get hurt. He's always the one to do the hurting.

At least, that's what Teppei thinks when Hanamiya clings to him so hard that his knuckles go white.

It's been months and Teppei still can't answer the question of why he loves him. He can say for sure that it probably has something to do with the side of Hanamiya that clings to him and doesn't let go some nights. He wishes he could hear what the point guard mumbles against his chest on those night. At the same time, it feels like doing so would be crossing some kind of long established boundary.

But maybe, just maybe, Hanamiya loves him back. Because he's there, standing up against the wall with a hat pulled down to hide his eyes, when he leaves for America. He doesn't say anything. There are no goodbye kisses, no promises that he'll be waiting for Teppei to get back, but he's there nonetheless and that speaks miles for a person like Hanamiya.


	10. KiyoHana 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KiyoHana get married. Imayoshi is there too. I like to imagine Hanamiya has the potential to be less of a shit in the future.

Hanamiya looks at himself in the mirror and absolutely deflates. He feels like he’s suffocating and while he wants to blame it on the tie but he knows that isn’t why this is happening.

"You need to calm down."

Deep breaths.

"I know I need to calm down Imayoshi, but just telling me that doesn't make me able to."

Really, he’s not even sure why Imayoshi is his best man. He's been an ass to him all of his life, although maybe he's been an ass to push him in the right direction. Still an ass nonetheless.

Deep breaths.

There's no reason to be so worked up really. At least, that's what Hanamiya has been trying to convince himself for the last half hour. He's long given up on the pretense that he's incapable of love of any sort, because it's a blatant lie. He loves Teppei, as much as he sometimes loathes to admit it. He even loves the way he feels protected when Teppei holds him close at night, although that's another thing he'd never admit because Hanamiya Makoto is not a man who needs to be protected. It's just a nice feeling, that's all. He loves Teppei's tenacity. It was very helpful in getting the two of them together and getting them to stay together. He loves that Teppei knows when his kisses should be gentle and when they should be rough. Actually, maybe he loves that Teppei can read him like a book. Maybe he loves that he doesn't feel the need to keep up any kind of pretenses around Teppei.

And maybe, just maybe, he loves that Teppei gave him a second chance. Really, it'd been more of a third chance.

Hanamiya has never been the type to be self-conscious or doubt his own decisions, but he knows he's not the nicest of people. Sometimes, in the dead of night when Teppei is soundly asleep, Hanamiya doubts what keeps the other around. Even less often he thinks that Teppei is going to leave him someday, because good things don't last for bad people. While he hasn't done anything downright horrible in a while, his actions in high school more than qualify him for the title of bad person.

Despite that though, Teppei is there every morning when he wakes up. Every morning before he leaves he gives Hanamiya a goodbye kiss that the shorter scowls at but knows he would miss if they ever went away.

So here he is about to ensure that those morning kisses are there every day for the rest of his life and he's absolutely freaking out.

"Sweat stains aren't going to look hot on your wedding day Makoto."

Hanamiya has never wanted to kill Imayoshi more than he wants to kill him now.

"Shut up, I know."

Deep breaths.

"Aren't you supposed to be reassuring me that everything is going to be okay. That I'm going to be fine and he's going to start crying when he sees me because I'm so goddamn good looking and that I'm going to spend the rest of my life in domestic bliss?"

"I never was much of a motivational speaker as a captain. My team never really needed it." A smirk is spread out on Imayoshi's face. "But if you need to hear those things I suppose I can say them. Everything is going to be okay. You're going to walk out there-"

"Just stop right now. You know what, I'd rather be freaking out anywhere but here. Because then at least you aren't there." There's a knowing look on Imayoshi's face. It takes Hanamiya less than a moment to realize why it's there. Damn bastard was annoying enough that he'd directed all his worrying into annoyance.

~~~

No one starts crying when he shows up, but Hanamiya thinks Kiyoshi looks like he's just seen heaven. Maybe he looks the exact same, because for once in his life no one is scowling at him. That's a first.

When he gets up to where Teppei is, the other laughs quietly. It's something private, meant only for the two of them. "You're smiling Makoto."

"Of course I am."

"You were freaking out before this, weren't you?" Hanamiya's eyes go wide for a moment. Of course he'd be able to tell. "Don't worry. I was too. I think everyone does."

"Don't make assumptions." Teppei laughs again. He looks so in love it would disgust Hanamiya if it was anyone other than Teppei and it was directed at anyone other than him.

"You ready to spend the rest of our lives together?"

"That's why I'm here, isn't it?"


	11. KagaHimu 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fantasy AU where Himuro was a dragon but now isn't? I really don't remember writing this.

"You're more like a cat than a dragon," Taiga says as Tatsuya pulls him into the nest of blankets he made while Taiga had been out. Tatsuya lets out a quiet "hmmm" before snuggling as close to the larger male as he can. His dark hair tickles Taiga's cheek.

"You're warm," is all he says. It's the second winter they've spent together like this. Tatsuya rarely leaves the house, because even after nearly two years he still isn't used to being a human instead of a dragon. Tatsuya's basically in his lap now, pressed up as close as possible.

"Sometimes I think you're just using me for my body heat."

"Maybe I am."

Taiga can't figure it out. He can't figure out why Tatsuya is still here, why he chose to be stuck in a human form when he could be one of the most powerful beings to ever roam the earth.

~~

In the winter, he stays indoors, in a bundle of blankets on the couch by the fireplace. He's not used to not having a roaring fire in his stomach.

In spring, he picks flowers with the children of the town, telling them stories of far off places, of what the world looks like from right below the clouds. They all love him, call him the most beautiful thing they've ever seen, even prettier than the flowers.

When summer comes, he spends his time helping the laborers or stopping fights in the streets. His nights are spent at taverns, listening to all the tales the other patrons have to tell. Taiga always watches from afar from where he sits with the other members of his squad. They tell him he looks like he's in love. Taiga tells them that maybe he is, maybe he is in love with a man he can never hope to understand.

Fall brings cold weather and Tatsuya starts spending more time inside again. He writes, but Taiga has never asked what about. Sometimes, he stares out the window and watches the leaves fall with a wistful smile on his face. Those are the times Taiga wishes he knew what was going through his head.

Regardless of the season Tatsuya worries when expeditions run longer than they are expected to and Taiga is out for days more than he originally thought. He scolds Taiga when he finally does get home, especially if he has any signs of injuries.

~~

"Tatsuya, why are you still here?" Eyes that remind him of the way snow looks under a full moon look up at him. Tatsuya's long, slender fingers play with the ring that's hung around his neck.

"Isn't it obvious?" He sighs, before pulling himself up so he's looking directly at Taiga. "You don't know much about dragons, beyond what you need to know to kill them."

"Does it bother you? That I hunt dragons sometimes, that is." A quiet laugh escapes Tatsuya's lips.

"No. Some of my kind aren't as civilized as they could be. But that's not what we're talking about." There's a pause before he starts again. "Dragons believe in one eternal love. I have found mine and I would rather live out the rest of my life as a human, even if it is limited, than spend an eternity as a dragon and have to watch him die in the blink of an eye."

"Tatsuya, I…."

"I'm here because I love you Taiga. There doesn't need to be any more of a reason than that?"

"No, there doesn't."


	12. KagaHimu 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introspective Future Fic KagaHimu

Taiga knows old wounds take time to heal, that there are some deep seated insecurities that only lots and lots of time can heal. He doesn’t really understand why, because perseverance and small pushes from people around him have always gotten him out of his own slumps, but he knows. He knows because that are times when Tatsuya comes back to the apartment and bawls his eyes out. There are days when he practices so much he hurts himself. 

Taiga may know that something is bothering his best friend turned lover, but he doesn’t know what to do about it. 

So he holds him as close as possible when he comes back an emotional wreck. He all but drags him out of the gym on the nights he just doesn’t stop. The extra practice is a release from everything that’s been plaguing him. Taiga has figured that much out.

They’ve both gotten past the point where basketball was everything to them and then some. They’re mature enough to realize that there are some things out there far more important than the time they spend on the court. The people they meet and the bonds they forge might just be two of them. 

But, old habits die hard and Taiga doesn’t doubt that Tatsuya still measures a decent amount of his worth based on how he does against his opponents. 

It takes Taiga a little bit to realize that he has never wanted anything more than he wants for Tatsuya to be truly happy. His thirst for victory has never been this strong, nor has his desire for revenge. 

The feeling he gets when he wakes up and sees Tatsuya’s still sleepy eyes looking at him like he’s the most amazing thing in the world and the gentle curve of his blissful smile are what Taiga wants most for. He wants for there to be a million of those moments to outweigh all of the bad ones.

He doesn’t know how to give that opportunity to Tatsuya though, because this isn’t a game that can be won through determination and teamwork. Human emotions are complicated and Tatsuya’s are nothing short of a knotted up mess.They’re coiled in and around themselves, in a mess that Taiga fears is going to take forever to undo. His hands have never been gentle, always rough and not quite sure of where they belong. Sometimes he fears they’re not the right ones for the job. 

They do fit with Tatsuya’s perfectly though. Sometimes, that’s all the encouragement he needs. 

Taiga has never been the type to give up, after all. He’s resolved himself on this. He’s not going to give up, never. Not until that messy ball is completely unraveled and the root of the problem is completely destroyed. He knows that it’ll be a lot of work, especially considering the two are still in college, so there’s that added pressure. 

There are things that are worth all the pressure in the world though, and the way Tatsuya’s eyes shine when he’s happy is one of them. The way his voice sounds when he talks about something he truly loves is another. Taiga could keep the list going for days if he needed too.


End file.
